HAMILTON — A township man and U.S. Army Ranger who had been missing since Oct. 16 was remembered as a trustworthy, dedicated and loyal family man who loved being in nature, whether it be hiking through Veterans Park, or paddleboarding at the shore, his family said last night.

“If he told you he was going to do something, he did it,” Roseanne Bonnet said of her son, Christopher. “I could go on, and on, and on, and on.”

Bonnet, 35, was found dead deep in the woods off Cyprus Lane midday yesterday by a group of volunteers who were searching for him, police said. The search was organized by family and friends after 10 days of investigations failed to turn up anything. Bonnet was last seen on Silver Court, which is near Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Lt. Joe Mastropolo said police believe Bonnet’s death is a suicide, but that they would be investigating further. An official determination of cause of death will come from the medical examiner, but when that might be released is uncertain. No other information was available last night.

Bonnet served as a sergeant in the Airborne Division of the Army for several years, including deployments overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq, Roseanne Bonnet said, adding that she was wearing one of his service bracelets.

Aside from his love of nature and his dedication to those closest to him, Bonnet said her son was funny, and a good cook who loved to prepare sophisticated dishes.

“I remember Thanksgiving dinner, he cooked everything from soup to nuts, and he always came up with a different menu and everything was from scratch,” Bonnet said.
“He did it by himself, and he loved it.”

Anyone with information should call the Hamilton Police Division Tips and Leads line at (609) 581-4008.